EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Tony Romo is paid to make big throws. Sunday night, he made the big mistake.

Any quarterback must be wary of challenging Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, particularly in a critical situation. Romo took that gamble and lost. He made his worst throw of the evening in a tie game with less than a minute to play, trying to hit Dez Bryant, who was a prisoner on Revis Island. Revis stepped in front of Bryant and made the interception, setting up Nick Folk’s game-winning 50-yard field goal in the Jets’ emotional 27-24 victory.

It’s yet another reminder that the Cowboys will only go as far as Romo takes them. And as good as Romo’s overall numbers were (23 for 36, 342 yards, two touchdowns, 101.9 passer rating), his late-game blunder raised the familiar question of his decision-making in big spots.

This loss was on Romo. And he knew it.

"It was a dumb decision," Romo said. "Too reactionary. I should’ve made sure, and that was my fault. It’s disappointing and frustrating. We win that football game if I don’t do what I did. It’s hard to swallow, just knowing that we lost that game because of me."

Romo is talented, he is a competitor, and he wants the responsibility of making big plays. But the desire to make a big play can lead to making a bad play. It has happened to Romo before, and Sunday night it happened again. He was fooled by the Jets’ coverage and threw it to Revis, perhaps the best cover corner in the game, who had help behind him on the play.

"He thought we were blitzing, and he threw into coverage," Revis said. "It was a call where we disguised our coverage."

And that wasn’t Romo’s only fourth quarter turnover. With the Cowboys leading, 24-17, and driving, Romo fumbled at the Jets’ one-yard line while trying to scramble for a touchdown. It was third and goal from the 2. Romo was actually trying to cover the ball as he was tackled, but it still slipped away and the Cowboys lost an opportunity to go ahead by 10 points.

"I was trying to protect the ball," Romo said, shaking his head. "I tried to get to the end zone. Like I said, I cost us the football game tonight. I gotta do better."

The Cowboys were also let down by their special teams. A blocked punt by the Jets in the fourth quarter provided the game-tying touchdown.

Dallas scored on its opening drive, jumped to a 10-0 lead and led for most of the game. But they still found a way to lose, which was disappointing to coach Jason Garrett.

"We didn’t handle the situation at the end of the game well," Garrett said. "We did things that teams that know how to win games don’t do. We turned the ball over, had a blocked punt and then turned it over again."

Asked about Romo’s late-game turnovers, Garrett said, "He’d probably like to have a couple of those plays back. But one of the things I’ve known about him—he’s got a great resiliency about him. You just to keep playing and go to the next one."

This was a tough opening-night road assignment for the Cowboys. The atmosphere in MetLife Stadium was electric before the opening kickoff. Each Jets offensive player came out of the tunnel carrying an American flag during pregame introductions. Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, joined the captains from both teams at midfield for the pregame coin toss.

The Cowboys kept their poise early, which bodes well for them down the road. Romo found Bryant for two key plays—a 42-yard completion that moved the ball into Jets’ territory and a 3-yard touchdown pass that capped the drive. Bryant beat Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie for the touchdown, showing the athletic ability that makes him so dangerous. If Bryant and Romo stay healthy this season, they could do big things.

Romo is the key for the Cowboys in so many ways. Their playoff chances basically ended last season when he suffered a season-ending collarbone injury. Now that he’s back, the Cowboys need Romo to raise his game to another level. Sunday night, he failed to do that.